Traveling bag



March 12, 1929. J. BRADY 1,705,150

' TRAVELING BAG Filed Nov. 8, 192

5 /8 INVENTOR i essz'ca. s), 20 d 7 f /6 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKZE.

JESSICA M. BRADY, OF MAMARONECK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BRADKA HOLDING CORPORATION, OF RYE, NEW YORK. A CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK.

TRAVELING BAG.

Application filed November 8, 1928. Serial llTo. 318,042.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved traveling bag or case particularly adapted for carrying numerous pairs of shoes. A bag or case made in accordance with this invention will keep the pairs of shoes separated and housed in compartments; afford them maximum protection .in transit, and facilitate the handling of the opened bag and the insertion and removal of the shoes. The bag is adapted to open fully and to be suspended with all of its compartments exposed forwardly and opening upwardly.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the closed traveling bag;

Fig. 2 a front view of the bag fully opened;

Fig. 3 a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, the dotted lines indicating the closed position of the front section of the bag;

Fig. 4 a detail section upon a larger scale taken on the line el4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 a detail fragmentary side view of the bag equipped with supporting means to enable it to stand upright when opened.

The form of the bag is box-like and similar to that of a standard suitcase. It comprises two rigid sections 1 and 2 which for indentification may be called front and rear sections respectively. Each section comprises a stiff, rectangular leaf or back 8' and a strong rigid frame extending forwardly from the leaf and forming top and bottom walls 4. and 5 respectively and sidewalls 6. The said leaf and walls of each section may be made of wood, fiber or other suitable stiff material and preferably have a covering 7 of leather or other suitable material. Hinges 8 connect together the free edges of the bottom walls 5 and adapt the sections to fold together with the edges of the top, bottom and side walls abutting. Preferably the walls of both sections are of the same depth so that the capacities of the two sections are equal. The rear section 1 is provided with a sealing flange 9 to overlap the abutting top and side walls of the closed bag. A handle 10 of usual form, for carrying the case, is mounted upon the top wall 4; of the rear section 2. Near the ends of said wall are mounted two hasps 11 which are adapted to engage locks 12 mounted upon the top wall of the front section 1.

The interior space of each bag section is divided by rigid vertical partitions 13 the partitions in each section being aligned with those in the other section. In the present instance there are two of these partitions in each section extending from the top wall to the bottom wall and of the same depth as the Walls so that the partitions of the two sections will abut or substantially abut, when the bag is closed and form rigidtransverse supporting walls extending across the entire transverse area of the bag. The partitions are preferably spaced so that they divide the interior of each section into three equal vertically elongated compartments each of a proper size and shape to accommodate a pair of shoes.

The compartments are partly closed by front walls in the form of soft, flexible curtains 14 which extend across the front of the compartments between the edges of the partitions and the edges of the bag sections and are secured to both. The curtains of the rear section 2 extend from the bottom wall 5 upwardly slightly more than half the height of the compartments. The curtains of the front section 1 extend for the same distance downwardly from the top wall 4. The term up wardly and downwardly being used with reference to the closed bag. The free edge of each curtain is folded upon itself and stitched to produce a tubular form through which a fiat rubber band 15 istrained. The ends of band 15 are secured to the opposite sides of the compartment to hold the band taut. The width of the curtain is greater than the width of the compartment and its edge along the band is gathered to render it expandiblc for the insertion and removal of the shoes. Preferably the curtains are made of a softbut sturdy cloth or fabric such as corduroy and the compartments are lined as at 16, preferably with the same material. lVhen the bag is closed the curtains 14 of the two sections will occupy staggered positions and their freeedges overlap as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The. curtains of section 1 will then serve to fully close the open front portions of the compartments of section2 and the curtains of section 2 will in a similar manner close the compartments of section 1. The shoes in each compartment will thus be entirely surrounded and enclosed by. the soft linings 16 and the curtains 14, and will be completely protected.

Upon the upper wall 4 of the rear section 2 a loop 17 is hingedly mounted. This loop is located midway between the ends of the section and adjacent the rear ed ge of the top wall. It is adapted to be engaged with a hook H, or the like, for suspending the opened or unfolded bag, as shown in Fig. 3.

The hinges 8 and the form of the bag adapt the sections 1 and 2 to unfold into the same plane with the lower walls 5 of the two sections closely adjacent to each other and parallel. To hold the sections in this relationship the said lower walls are provided with two pairs of companion snap "l astening elements 18, preferably of the ball and socket type, one section carrying the balls and the other the sockets. These elements are spaced back as far as possible from the hinges to give them a good leverage or hold. Bosses 19 are also provided upon the lower ends 5 of the two sections and serve as feet for sup porting the bag upright when it is closed.

The feet are higher thanthe fastening elements 17 and thereby'protcct the latter by holding them out of contact with the ground and shieldingthem from'the weight of the bag and its contents.

The bag described is designed throughout to make it a thoroughly satisfactory carrier and storage case for ladies line shoes. Shoes are kept separated in pairs; the strong rigid structure of the case prevents crushing oi? the shoes and they are protected from scratching or bruising by the soft linings of: the compartments and bythe curtains. The curtains hold the shoes in their compartments securely enough to prevent accidental displacement and still leave them sui'hciently exposed when the bag is opened for making a selection "from the various pairs. The elastic curtains normally remain taut-and trim but are readily expandible for the'insertion or removal of the shoes. Thebag opens wide to dispose the sections thereof in the same plane, with the compartments all forwardly exposed, and the reversed arrangement of the curtains and compartment openings otthe two sections in the closed bag makesall of the compartments open upwardly when the bag is open and suspended by the loop 1.7. The snap fastenings 18 make a straight, still unit of the unfolded bag and thereby facilitate the handling of'it and cause the-lower section 1 to hang straight from the upper section 2. V

In Fig. 5 is shown an additional feature which may be included in the bag structure. Here the top wall 4 of the front bag section 1 is provided with tour bosses 20. When the front section '1 is swung down below the tion 2 the said wall t and the bosses 20 are at the bottom and the bosses serve as feet for supporting the unfolded bag in an up operates well with the snap fasteners 18 which make a stiff unit of the unfolded bag and hold the upper section 2 firmly upright upon the lower section 1. The bosses 20 are preferably made of rubber and are higher than the locks 12 so that the unfolded bag may be set upon a chair, table polished floor or other su1 )port without scratching it.

While I have shown and described a very satisfactory torm oi my invention I do not wish to-bc limited strictly'to this disclosure but reserve'the right to make such changes as will lie within the scope oi" the claims. It is obvious-that any desired'number of rows of compartments may be arranged in'each bag section. I have shown a bag with six compartments but I may construct it with any desired number.

Wh at I claim is: i

l. A traveling bag for carrying shoes, comprising a pair of rigid front and rear sections oi substantially t'he'same dimensions hinged together at their lower edges and adapted to unfold into substantially the same plane; a partition dividing the interior of each section into compartments; and retaining means in each bag section closing approximately one-half of the front of each of said compartments and disposed so asto close the lower front portion or". eachcoinpartment when the bagsections are open and upright, and so that the retaining means in one bag section extends upwardly from the bottoms of the compartments thereof and the retaining means in the otherbag section extends downwardly from the tops of the compartn'ients thereof when the bag is closed, whereby when the bag is open and upright the'upper portions of the compartments of both sections will be open at the front to permit oithe insertion and removal of shoes, and when thebag is closed'the open front portions of the compartments in each section will be closed by the retaining means of the opposite section and each individual compartment will be closed.

2.' A traveling bag for carrying shoes, comprising a pair of rigid frontand rear sections of substantially the same dimensions hinged together at their lower edges and adapted to unfold into substantially the same plane; a partition dividing the interior of each section into compartments the partition of one section aligning with the partition ofthe other section when the bag is closed; expansible retaining means of flexible material in each bag section. so disposed and of such height that the retaining means each closes the lower front portions of the compartments of the hag section by which it is carried when the bag sectionsare open and upright, and so that the retaining means in one bag section extends upwardly from the bottoms of the compartments thereof and the retaining means in the other bagsection extends downwardly from the tops of the compartments thereof when the bag is closed with the two retaining means overlapping, whereby when the bag is open and upright the upper portions of the compartments of both sections will be open at the front to permit of the insertion and removal of shoes and when the bag is closed the open front portions of the compartments in each section will be completely covered by the retaining means of the opposite section and articles in opposed compartments of the two bag sections will be completely shielded from contact with each other; and elastic means in each bag section for normally yieldably holding the flexible and expansible retaining means in contracted condition across the front portions of the compartments.

3. A traveling bag comprising a pair of stiff front and rear sections of substantially the same shape and dimensions hinged together at their lower edges and adapted to unfold into substantially the same plane; stiff partitions dividing the interior of each section into compartments, the partitions of one section aligning with the partitions of the other section when the bag is closed to dispose the opposed compartments in register with each other and to strengthen the bag transversely; and yieldable elastic front walls of soft material closing approximately one-half of the front of each of said compartn'ients and disposed so as to close the lower front portion of each compartment when the bag sections are open and upright, and so that said yieldable front walls in one bag section extend upwardly from the bottoms of the compartments thereof and in the other bag section extend downwardly from the tops of the compartments thereof when the bag is closed, whereby when the bag is open and upright the upper portions of the compartments of both sections will be open at the front to permit of the insertion and removal of articles, and when the bag is closed the open front portions of the compartments in each section will be closed by the front walls of the compartments of the opposite section opposed to and registering therewith, so that the con tents of the compartments will be protected from damage from the outside by the stiff walls of the bag sections and the contents of opposed compartments will be separated and protected from each other by the front walls of the compartments.

v 4. A traveling bag of suitcase form comprising a pair of rigid sections hinged together at their lower edges and adapted to unfold into the same plane; and yieldable automatically operating snap astening means carried by the bottom walls of the bag sections to automatically lock the unfolded sections in the same plane.

5. A traveling bag of suitcase form comprising a pair of rigid front and rear sections hinged together at their lower edges and adapted to unfold into the same plane; automatically operating co-incident, yieldable snap fastening means carried by the bottom walls of the bag sections to automatically lock the bag open with the unfolded sections in the same plane; and feet carried by the top Wall of the front section to suport the opened bag upright.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affiX my signature.

JESSICA M. BRADY. 

